Grandson takes up Mandela challenge to serve

Google – AFP,  Justine Gerardy (AFP), 19 June 2013

Mandla Mandela arrives at Parliament for the State of the Nation Speech

on February 10, 2011, in Cape Town (AFP/File, Rodger Bosch)

MVEZO, South Africa — Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla wanted to be a disc jockey but his illustrious grandfather had other ideas for him -- passing down a lesson on the responsibility that South Africa's most famous surname carries.

The anti-apartheid hero chose his 38-year-old grandson as the first Mandela in decades to be chief of his rural birthplace Mvezo in the Eastern Cape six years ago.

"My grandfather has always been my role model. He's an inspiration to the work I do today," Mandela, whose father was Makgatho from the hero's first marriage, told AFP.

As his 94-year-old grandfather battles a lung infection in hospital, he admitted it had "not at all" been easy trying to match up to the man who became South Africa's first black president.

"He's a global icon but I feel that as members of the family, the small things that we do as individuals, as a collective can one day amount to the dynamic person my grandfather became," he said.

"South Africa, and even the Mandelas themselves, I believe will never produce another Nelson Mandela but we can always strive to embrace him, his principles and values."

A picture taken on June 16, 2013 shows 

Mandla Mandela (3rd L) kneeling down

 to talk to a girl from the village of Mvezo

(AFP/file, Jennifer Bruce)

Lying on the winding Mbashe river where fiery aloes bloom and livestock wander, Mvezo is scenic but deeply impoverished.

There is no clean drinking water or sanitation in the village's humble homes, many built of mud, or even a health clinic.

Born here in 1918, Mandela's father was stripped of the Mvezo chieftancy by a colonial magistrate and he spent his early years in nearby Qunu village.

"We are very much as a family intrigued as to the place he comes from, how he emerged and the dynamic person that he became," said Mandela.

"And I think for future generations of the Mandelas, we should always look to our place of our origin and draw strength from that."

While Mandela was serving a 27-year jail term, his grandson was born in Soweto, a flashpoint of the anti-apartheid struggle far from the rural hinterland where his grandfather was born.

As a music loving high-schooler, he dreamed of becoming a DJ.

Mandela's response? "Nonsense, no Mandela will ever become such. You need to go out and find a career," he enacted, mimicking his grandfather's waving finger.

"My grandfather has really been the driver behind the person that I needed to be and the anchor around that was education," he said.

"He's always believed that education is a weapon which one could utilise to change the world so he ensured that we got a good education so that we could be of service to the people."

On his grandfather's wishes, he stopped working to study further in his 20s in the Eastern Cape.

At the time, he had two businesses and diplomas in business management and marketing under his belt. But his grandfather had other plans for him.

He also spent time in Qunu -- where his grandfather built a house on his prison release -- which opened his eyes to the poverty stalking rural South Africans.

"Upon my graduation my grandfather said 'so are you still that eager businessman you wanted to be?'. With his sense of humour, he had seen that I had changed and I had become more community driven," said Mandela.

"And that's the lesson learned from my grandfather: that Mandelas are supposed to ensure that they are of service to our people and I've taken that role, starting here in Mvezo."

But the village "has just been an opening of the doors", he says, having followed his grandfather into politics.

He joined parliament in 2009 for the ruling African National Congress, which his grandfather led into power, a move he initially resisted.

"Again I sought my grandfather's advice and he said to me how you're not only working for your community which is our inheritance, that of Mvezo, but you are able to work with the broader society."

Mandla Mandela's time as chief has not been without controversy.

His three marriages have fuelled headlines of bigamy, outstanding maintenance payments, and child paternity questions, amid a land dispute and the exhumation of Qunu family graves for reburial in Mvezo.

Under him, signs of change include a new brick-paved road which has transformed the journey to the village.

A museum -- currently comprising a tiny outdoor display -- is being extended in an impressive complex with the offices of the traditional council and a conference centre.

A science and technology school, the village's first high school, is also under construction and tourist accommodation is also on the cards

Mandela believes that his grandfather's style of collective leadership was shaped by his rural beginnings, in Mvezo and elsewhere, where he learned some of his earliest lessons.

"It's the birthplace of my grandfather and this is where people will always want to come and visit, because it has a rich significance. There is no other birthplace except Mvezo," he said.

US and Taliban to open direct peace talks in Qatar

BBC News, 18 June 2013

Taliban spokesman Mohammed Naeem, second right, opened the Doha office

Taliban Conflict

• Afghans count cost
• Insider attacks: Causes
• Who are the Taliban?
• Q&A: Foreign forces

The US is to open direct peace talks with the Taliban, senior White House officials have announced.

The first meeting is due to take place in the coming days in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban have just opened their first official overseas office.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government was also sending delegates to Qatar to talk to the Taliban.

The announcement came on the day Nato handed over security for the whole of Afghanistan to government forces.

US officials said prisoner exchanges would be one topic for discussion with the Taliban, but the first weeks will mainly be used to explore each other's agendas.

However, the talks are on condition that the Taliban renounce violence, break ties with al-Qaeda and respect the Afghan constitution - including the rights of women and minorities.

US officials told reporters the first formal meeting between US and Taliban representatives was expected to take place in Doha next week, with talks between President Karzai's High Peace Council and the Taliban due a few days after that.

The level of trust between the Afghan government and the Taliban is described as "low".

In the past, the Taliban have always refused to meet President Karzai or his government, dismissing them as puppets of Washington.

Masoom Stanekzai, secretary of the High Peace Council, would not give a specific date for their talks but said they would take place "within days".

He told the BBC it was important that all sides should feel "confident and comfortable" at the beginning of the process.

"Eventually the talks should take place on Afghan soil. This is an Afghan issue. No-one other than Afghans can decide," he said.

US officials stressed that this was the first step on a very long road, adding that there was no guarantee of success.

There is tight security around the Taliban's new offices in Qatar

After opening the "political bureau" in Doha alongside Qatari officials, Taliban representative Mohammed Naeem told reporters the group wanted good relations with Afghanistan's neighbours.

A Taliban statement said: "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan doesn't want any threats from Afghanistan soil to other countries, and neither permits anyone to threaten other countries using Afghanistan soil.

"We support a political and peaceful solution that ends Afghanistan's occupation, and guarantees the Islamic system and nationwide security."

The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says these were key statements that US officials were expecting to hear.

A US official said the militant Haqqani network would also be represented by the Taliban in Doha.

However, the senior US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, Gen Joseph Dunford, cast doubt on whether the group would make peace.

Speaking by phone from Kabul he told reporters at the Pentagon: "All I've seen of the Haqqani would make it hard for me to believe they were reconcilable."

In Afghanistan itself on Tuesday, Nato handed over security for the whole of the country to the government for the first time since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.

At a ceremony in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai said that from Wednesday "our own security and military forces will lead all the security activities".

The ceremony saw the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) hand over control of the last 95 districts in a transition process that began in 2011.

International troops are to remain in Afghanistan until the end of 2014, providing military back-up when needed.

President Karzai has expressed anger at previous US and Qatari efforts to kick-start the peace process without properly consulting his government, reports the BBC's Bilal Sarwary from Kabul.

There is also concern within the presidential palace that the Taliban will use the office in Qatar to raise funds, adds our correspondent.

The US has previously tried to negotiate with the Taliban, but never held direct talks.

In March 2012 the Taliban said it had suspended preliminary negotiations with Washington, citing US efforts to involve the Afghan government as a key stumbling block.

The Taliban set up a diplomatic presence in Qatar in January 2012 and US officials held preliminary discussions there.

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Venezuela in rare diplomatic overture to US

"Recalibration of Knowledge" – Jan 14, 2012 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Channelling, God-Creator, Benevolent Design, New Energy, Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Reincarnation, Gaia, Old Energies (Africa, Terrorists, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela ... ), Weather, Rejuvenation, Akash, Nicolas Tesla / Einstein, Cold Fusion, Magnetics, Lemuria, Atomic Structure (Electrons, Particles, Polarity, Self Balancing, Magnetism), Entanglement, "Life is necessary for a Universe to exist and not the other way around", DNA, Humans (Baby getting ready, First Breath, Stem Cells, Embryonic Stem Cells, Rejuvenation), Global Unity, ... etc.) - (Text Version) 

“…  I want you to watch some countries. I don't have a clock [this statement is Kryon telling us that there is no time frame on his side of the veil, only potentials]. I'll just tell you, it's imminent [in Spirit's timing, this could mean as soon as a decade]. I want you to watch some countries carefully for changes. You're going to be seeing changes that are obvious, and some that are not obvious [covert or assumptive]. But the obvious ones you will see sooner than not - Cuba, Korea [North], Iran, of course, and Venezuela. I want you to watch what happens when they start to realize that they don't have any more allies on Earth! Even their brothers who used to support them in their hatred of some are saying, "Well, perhaps not anymore. It doesn't seem to be supporting us anymore. "Watch the synchronicities that are occurring. The leaders who have either died or are going to in the next year or so will take with them the old ways. Watch what happens to those who take their place, and remember these meetings where I described these potentials to you. …”

North Korea proposes high-level talks with US - New
North, South Korea agree to official talks
North Korea 'to allow Kaesong managers back'
China calls for denuclearization of Korean Peninsula
Pyongyang delegation's trip to China a 'big gesture'

A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

“….. Here is the prediction: China will turn North Korea loose soon. The alliance will dissolve, or become stale. There will be political upheaval in China. Not a coup and not a revolution. Within the inner circles of that which you call Chinese politics, there will be a re-evaluation of goals and monetary policy. Eventually, you will see a break with North Korea, allowing still another dictator to fall and unification to occur with the south. ….”

Obama, Xi urge new relations amid hacking row

Muslim Envoy Asks Pope Francis to Take ‘Step Forward’

President welcomes Greenpeace activists

Bamako, Tuaregs sign accord paving way for Mali vote

Google – AFP, Romaric Ollo Hien (AFP), 18 June 2013

Tuareg delegates arrive to meet a Mali government delegation in Ougadougou,

Burkina Faso, on June 10, 2013 (AFP/File, Ahmed Ouoba)

OUAGADOUGOU — The Malian government and Tuareg rebels occupying a key northern city signed an accord Tuesday paving the way for presidential elections in the west African state next month.

Mali's territorial administration minister and representatives of two Tuareg movements signed the deal in Ouagadougou, capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso, as the lead mediator in negotiations, Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore, looked on.

The agreement, reached after 10 days of often tense negotiations, will enable nationwide polls to take place on July 28 and put the troubled country back on the path to recovery.

It allows the Malian army to enter the key northern town of Kidal -- currently occupied by Tuareg rebels -- to secure the ballot.

The UN envoy to Mali, Bert Koenders, hailed the accord, saying it "represents a significant step in the stabilisation process in Mali".

"I commend the parties for having put their differences aside and worked for the benefit of the country and its people," he said in a statement sent to AFP in Bamako.

"This is a first step," said Koenders, who is also head of the UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

"In practice, the parties have yet to discuss the latest technical details regarding security issues, the return of the administration, essential services to the population in the region of Kidal and preparation for the next presidential election," he said.

"Once these conditions are met, it is at this point that an inclusive dialogue can be established, involving not only the government and armed groups, but also all Malians," he added.

The lack of a deal has been a major obstacle in the planning of the election, seen as crucial to Mali's recovery from a conflict that saw Al-Qaeda-linked groups seize the northern half of the country for nine months in the wake of a March 2012 coup that toppled the government in Bamako.

The crisis leading to the coup was sparked by a rebellion by Tuareg separatists from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) who want autonomy for their northern homeland.

Flush with weapons following the return of Tuareg mercenaries who fought alongside slain Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi, the group rapidly overpowered the weak Malian army.

This led angry soldiers to overthrow the government in Bamako.

The Tuareg continued their campaign, seizing key northern cities, but they were sidelined by their powerful Al Qaeda-linked allies who chased them out and seized control of the north where they imposed an extreme form of Islamic law.

French troops, since intervening in January, have reclaimed most lost territory but analysts have warned that Malian soldiers and MINUSMA would struggle to contain Islamist fighters without support from Paris.

The United Nations last week warned that the human rights situation in northern Mali remains precarious, with both rebels and Malian troops having been accused of committing numerous abuses.

MINUSMA, to be made up of 12,600 international troops and police, is due to start deploying on July 1.

The MNLA sided with France during the worst of the fighting this year but it has been reluctant to allow government troops into its Kidal bastion for the election.

Arrest warrants issued by Malian authorities against MNLA chiefs were a sticking point in the negotiations, but one source said a verbal agreement was struck to lift them.

Drame would not confirm that information, but said an international commission of inquiry is expected to be set up to deal with crimes against humanity committed during the conflict.

G8 calls for urgent Syria peace talks

Google – AFP, Guy Jackson (AFP), 18 June 2013

Barack Obama listens during a bilateral meeting with Francois Hollande

in Northern Ireland on June 18, 2013 (AFP, Jewel Samad)

ENNISKILLEN, United Kingdom — G8 leaders on Tuesday threw their weight behind calls for a peace conference on Syria to be held in Geneva "as soon as possible", after a summit dominated by the country's civil war.

At the end of two days of talks in Northern Ireland, the leaders also called for agreement on a transitional government in Syria "with full executive powers, formed by mutual consent".

British Prime Minister David Cameron, the summit host, said it was "unthinkable" that President Bashar al-Assad could play a role in a transitional administration, but the G8 communique pointedly made no reference to him, in an apparent concession to Syria's ally Russia.

After talks which at times pitted Russian President Vladimir Putin against his fellow G8 leaders, the final communique said the Syrian military and security services "must be preserved and restored" in a future set-up.

Vladimir Putin speaks during a press

 conference in Northern Ireland

 on June 18, 2013 (Pool/AFP, Matt

Dunham)

The leaders did not suggest a date for the proposed Syria talks, which were supposed to take place this month but have already been delayed.

Gathered on the picturesque banks of Lough Erne, the world's leading industrialised nations also struck a deal to crack down on tax evasion and share more cross-border financial information.

They vowed concrete steps to target not only illegal tax evasion but also tax avoidance by multinational companies that costs taxpayers billions in lost revenues.

And they agreed to stamp out the payment of ransoms for hostages kidnapped by "terrorists", and called on companies to follow their lead in refusing to pay for the release of their employees.

But the summit was dominated by the conflict in Syria, which has cost more than 90,000 lives since it broke out in March 2011.

The G8 nations pledged almost $1.5 billion (1.1 billion euros) in humanitarian aid for refugees inside and outside Syria, including $300 million from the United States and 200 million euros from Germany.

After Washington said it would arm the Syrian rebels and the EU mulled the issue, the G8 said it was deeply concerned at the growing extremism and "terrorism" in Syria.

The world leaders called on the regime and the opposition to "commit to destroying and expelling from Syria all organisations and individuals affiliated to Al-Qaeda, and any other non-state actors linked to terrorism".

Putin's sharp differences with US President Barack Obama over Syria were laid bare in icy face-to-face talks on Monday.

In his end-of-summit press conference, Putin said defiantly that Russia could not rule out sending fresh shipments of weapons to the Syrian regime.

The Russian president also accused the United States of "destabilising" the situation in Syria with its allegations that the regime has used nerve gas on a limited scale.

"Any decision about arms supplies to the opposition based on unconfirmed reports about the use of chemical weapons only additionally destabilises the situation," he said.

Barack Obama (L), David Cameron (C) and

 Enda Kenny (R) in Northern Ireland on 

June 18, 2013 (AFP, Ben Stansall)

Aside from Syria, Cameron heralded a commitment to fight the "scourge" of tax evasion and to promote corporate transparency.

"Countries should change rules that let companies shift their profits across borders to avoid taxes, and multinationals should report to tax authorities what tax they pay where," the G8 said.

The final declaration also called for greater transparency on corporate ownership, saying: "Companies should know who really owns them, and tax collectors and law enforcers should be able to obtain this information easily."

But activists said the deal came up short.

Alex Wilks, campaign director at global civic organisation Avaaz said opposition from Canada and Germany "blocked the strong deal the world demanded."

The summit also saw the launch of formal negotiations on a vast trade pact between the United States and the European Union.

It was guarded by 8,000 police officers in the biggest security operation ever mounted in Northern Ireland's troubled history, but protesters were thin on the ground.

The G8 brings together Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

The Netherlands tried to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians

DutchNews.nl, Monday 17 June 2013

(ANP)

The Netherlands spent at least a year trying to broker a breakthrough in the deadlocked peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the NRC reports on Monday, quoting confidential sources.

Last winter an Israeli and Palestinian negotiator were in the Netherlands for talks, the paper says. Efforts were also made to get Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas round the negotiating table.

The secret operation had the codename ‘Bluegreen’ after the colour of the two flags.

The Dutch initiative, centred on VVD parliamentarian Han ten Broeke, began after the peace talks broke down in Amman in January 2012, the paper said.

The Netherlands stopped its efforts in March when US president Barak Obama launched his new peace initiative.

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Palestinian hopes for two states 'not possible', says Israeli minister Bennett - New

"THE BRIDGE OF SWORDS"– Sep  29, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“… Let us talk about the swords: When you hear the word sword, the first thing that occurs to you is battle. The Bridge of Swords is a battle and we told you that as well. Swords are metaphoric and they mean many things, so let us describe the things we mean them to say to you.

Number one: They are indeed a weapon in a battle. There is a battle coming. "Kryon, does that mean there's going to be a war?" Potentially, yes. Right now we will tell you that the Middle East cooks itself. You've noticed, haven't you? What do you know about the Middle East, dear one? Let's start examining things for a moment. What energy did you grow up in? What was the energy of the Middle East? In the '40s, what was the energy? With the establishment of the state of Israel, you built a wall of hate, both sides. The wall was so thick that the children of both sides were taught to hate one another as soon as they were able to understand the language. They were told who their enemies were. Now, where were you then?

Some of you weren't here yet. By the time you arrived, in your youth, were you aware of the Middle East? Not particularly. "What's the hatred about?" you might ask. What if I told you it's about a family feud? Two sons of a Jewish master are involved. One founded the Arabs and one remained a Jew. They don't want to hear this, but they are all Jews. (Don't tell them this.)

If you look at the lineage, it's pretty obvious and yet it's a complete and total set-up for either solution or war. The set-up would have this world ending in a conflagration that would have been brought about by this hatred. That's in the prophecy of Nostradamus and your scripture, but it is no longer the prophecy of the planet. Yet the hatred still exists. The hatred is as great today as it was then, but where was all the terrorism 40 years ago? It was isolated.

Those in Israel and Palestine and surrounding areas took the brunt of it, but now it's seemingly everywhere - and you're worried. Why would this be? The answer is that the old energy was happy to have this hatred contained, for it would keep it going and never involve outsiders. Outsiders tend to bring unwanted light to the party. Suddenly, the whole earth is involved and can see the entire scenario before them. The old guard wants war, just like all the eons before them. The ones on the bridge are holding the light and showing the earth how to cross. Even many younger ones in Israel and Palestine and Iran are holding light! It's all around the old guard and they are furious, for they are losing the "battle of hatred." …”

"The End of History" – Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll)

(Subjects: Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Muhammad, Jesus, God, Jews, Arabs, EU, US, Israel, Iran, Russia, Africa, South America, Global Unity,..... etc.) (Text version)

" ..... If an Arab and a Jew can look at one another and see the Akashic lineage and see the one family, there is hope. If they can see that their differences no longer require that they kill one another, then there is a beginning of a change in history. And that's what is happening now. All of humanity, no matter what the spiritual belief, has been guilty of falling into the historic trap of separating instead of unifying. Now it's starting to change. There's a shift happening. ....."

Rowhani firm on Iran nuclear rights, vows transparency

Google – AFP, Mohammad Davari (AFP), 17 June 2013

Iranian president-elect Hassan Rowhani waves as he attends a press

conference in Tehran on June 17, 2013 (AFP, Behrouz Mehri)

TEHRAN — Iran's newly-elected president Hassan Rowhani ruled out on Monday any halt to the nuclear activity that has drawn UN sanctions but said he hoped an early deal could be reached to allay the concerns of major powers.

The moderate cleric, who won outright victory in Friday's presidential election on the hopes of millions for an end to the economic hardship caused by Western sanctions, pledged greater transparency in the long-running talks.

Rowhani, addressing his first press conference since winning the vote, said there would be no change in Iran's longstanding alliance with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that has been the source of additional Western concern.

But he said he would seek to thaw relations with the key Gulf Arab backers of the rebels fighting to oust Assad's regime for more than two years.

An Iranian boy peaks from behind a curtain 

during a visit of President-elect Hassan

 Rowhani in Tehran on June 16, 2013 

(AFP \ Atta Kenare)

Rowhani, who led the nuclear negotiating team under reformist former president Mohammad Khatami from 2003-5, said there could be no return to the moratorium on uranium enrichment that Iran accepted at the time.

"This period is over," he said.

When Rowhani stepped down, outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad resumed uranium enrichment, triggering successive UN Security Council ultimatums to suspend it, some of them backed up with sanctions.

Iran has since massively expanded its facilities for the enrichment of uranium, extending the process to 20 percent and raising the fears of regional foe Israel that the 90 percent required for a warhead is but a step away.

The 64-year-old Rowhani said that the EU and US sanctions against Iran's oil and banking sectors that have sent the economy into freefall were unjust but promised transparent talks to try to resolve the underlying issues.

Iran will be "more transparent to show that its activities fall within the framework of international rules," he said.

"The idea is to engage in more active negotiations."

Rowhani has repeatedly promised to restore diplomatic relations with the United States, broken off more than three decades ago after the storming of the US embassy in Tehran by Islamist students.

He has also expressed readiness for bilateral talks with Washington to allay its concerns that Tehran's nuclear programme is cover for a drive for a weapons capability.

But he said those talks could not be without conditions.

"The US should not interfere in our internal affairs, recognise the rights of Iran including nuclear rights and stop its unilateral policies and pressure," he said.

"The next government will not give up the legitimate rights of the country."

On a visit to Iran's western neighbour Iraq on Monday, the chief negotiator of the major powers, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said she would take Rowhani up on his promise of more constructive engagement.

"I will continue to do my work to urge Iran to work closely with me.., to build confidence in the nature of their nuclear programme," she said.

Hassan Rowhani supporters flash the

victory sign as they wait for the final

results in Tehran on June 15, 2013.

(AFP/File, Behrouz Mehri)

Rowhani said he would seek to mend difficult relations between Shiite Iran and Sunni-dominated Gulf Arab states, which have been further strained by the two-year conflict in Syria.

"The priority of my government is to strengthen relations with neighbours... the countries of the Persian Gulf and Arab ones that are of strategic importance and our brothers," he said.

"Saudi Arabia is a brother and neighbour... with which we have historic, cultural and geographical relations."

But he said there would be no let-up in Iran's support for its longstanding ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to appease Gulf states that back the rebels.

"The government must be respected by other countries until the next elections and then it is up to the people to decide," Rowhani said, referring to Assad's term of office which does not expire until 2014.

Rowhani won Friday's election with more than 50 percent of the vote against a divided field of hardline conservatives.

He told supporters on Monday that he would do all in his power to bring about "the change" they desired after eight years of conservative domination under outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"God willing, this is the beginning of a move that will bring the change demanded by the people in the fields of economy, culture, social and politics," he said, cautioning that could not happen "overnight."

Hassan Rowhani (null, null)

Egyptian president cuts ties with Syria and calls for no-fly zone over country

Mohamed Morsi also urges Hezbollah to pull out and pledges to organise urgent summit of Arab and Islamist states

guardian.co.uk, Reuters in Cairo, Saturday 15 June 2013

Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi waves to supporters as he attends a Syria
 solidarity conference organised by the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. Photograph: EPA

Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi said he had cut all diplomatic ties with Damascus on Saturday and called for a no-fly zone over Syria, pitching the most populous Arab state firmly against Bashar al-Assad.

Addressing a rally called by Sunni Muslim clerics in Cairo, Morsi said: "We decided today to entirely break off relations with Syria and with the current Syrian regime."

He also warned Assad's allies in the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah to pull back from fighting in Syria.

"We stand against Hezbollah in its aggression against the Syrian people," Morsi said.

"Hezbollah must leave Syria – these are serious words. There is no space or place for Hezbollah in Syria."

Morsi, who faces growing discontent at home over the economy and over fears that he will pursue an Islamist social agenda, said he was organising an urgent summit of Arab and other Islamic states to discuss the situation in Syria, where the US has in recent days decided to take steps to arm the rebels.

Morsi, who spoke at a packed 20,000-capacity stadium and waved Syrian and Egyptian flags after his entrance, also urged world powers to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria.

The crowd of his supporters chanted: "From the free revolutionaries of Egypt: we will stamp on you, Bashar!"

Western diplomats said on Friday that Washington was considering a limited no-fly zone over parts of Syria.

But the White House noted later that it would be far harder and costlier to set one up there than it was in Libya, and said the US had no national interest in pursuing that option.

Russia, an ally of Assad and a fierce opponent of outside military intervention in Syria, said any attempt to impose a no-fly zone using F-16 fighter jets and Patriot missiles based in Jordan would be illegal.

Morsi said Syria was the target of "a campaign of extermination and planned ethnic cleansing fed by regional and international states", partly in reference to Iran, though he did not name the country.

Morsi said: "The Egyptian people supports the struggle of the Syrian people, materially and morally, and Egypt, its nation, leadership … and army, will not abandon the Syrian people until it achieves its rights and dignity."

Egypt has not taken an active role in arming the Syrian rebels but an aide to Morsi said this week that Cairo would not stand in the way of Egyptians who wanted to fight in Syria.

Iran: Hassan Rouhani wins presidential election

Moderate candidate secures surprise victory in race to succeed Mahmnoud Ahmadinejad with just over 50% of the vote

The Guardian, The Observer, Saeed Kamali Dehghan,  Saturday 15 June 2013

Hassan Rouhani shows his inked finger after casting his ballot on Friday in
 southern Tehran, Iran. 72% of the 50 million eligible Iranians turned out at
the polls. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

Iran was on the brink of an extraordinary political transformation on Saturday night after the moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani sensationally secured enough votes to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rouhani's apparent victory delighted many reformers in Iran who have been desperate for a comeback to the forefront of Iranian politics after eight acrimonious years under Ahmadinejad.

It will also lift the spirit of a nation suffering from its worst financial crisis for at least two decades due to the unprecedented sanctions imposed by western powers in the dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Rouhani, a moderate figure favouring political openness and re-establishing relations with the west, is likely to sooth international tensions. He has been described by western officials as an "experienced diplomat and politician" and "fair to deal with".

The interior minister, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, announced on state television on Saturday night that 72% of the 50 million eligible Iranians had turned out to vote, and that Rohani had secured just over the 50% of the vote needed to avoid a run-off.

Rouhani, a PhD graduate from Glasgow Caledonian University and former nuclear negotiator, has positioned himself as a moderate, favouring talks with the west. He has pledged to find a way out of the current stalemate over Iran's nuclear programme, which is the root cause of the sanctions crushing the economy.

Responding to the announcement that Rouhani had been elected president, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: "We note the announcement that Hassan Rouhani has won the Iranian presidential elections.

"We call on him to use the opportunity to set Iran on a different course for the future: addressing international concerns about Iran's nuclear programme, taking forward a constructive relationship with the international community, and improving the political and human rights situation for the people of Iran."

In reaction to a likely Rouhani victory, the Iranian currency, the rial, recovered its value against the dollar by at least 6% on Saturday.

"It is good to have centrifuges running, provided people's lives and livelihoods are also running," Rouhani said in a television debate during the campaign. During Rouhani's term as a nuclear negotiator, Iran appeared more cooperative to the international community and in the run-up to Friday's poll he repeatedly pointed out that on his watch Iran's nuclear dossier was not referred to the UN security council.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has made clear he will consider any vote as a vote for the Islamic republic but on Friday many of the electorate said they would vote to avoid any risk of Rouhani being defeated by conservatives close to Khamenei. Political analysts interpreted arch-conservative presidential candidate Saeed Jalili's defeat as a no-vote on Iran's current nuclear policy.

The authorities had initially said they would begin to reveal results just after 2am local time on Saturday, but it was not until at least four hours later that Mohammad-Najjar appeared on state-run television to begin announcing the results.

At the previous vote in 2009, which many claim was rigged, the final results were announced far quicker.

"It has taken them seven hours to count 800,000 votes while four years ago they counted almost 30 million votes in few hours," one Tehran resident said. "It might be a good sign that actually this time they're really counting."

Analysts believe rigging was less likely this year because Ahmadinejad is not running and the government has not endorsed any of the candidates.

The endorsement of Rouhani earlier in the week by reformist leaders Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani injected last-minute excitement into the race, boosting Rouhani's chances. The 65-year-old was the only cleric among the six presidential candidates.

Meir Javedanfar , an Iranian politics lecturer at the Inter-disciplinary Centre in Israel described the results as "total and absolute surprise".

"Based on the 2009 results, which many including myself believe were falsified, the expectation was that Rouhani's genuine votes would not be counted, as his views do not seem to be in line with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and the supreme leader, just like [opposition leaders] Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi's views were not," he said.

"If Rouhani wins in the first round, it would be a clear sign that after the 2009 uprising, the supreme leader has learned that his regime needs to regain its legitimacy, and that will only come from counting the vote of the people."

Former foreign secretary Jack Straw knows Rouhani and described him as "warm and engaging".

"This is a remarkable and welcome result so far and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no jiggery-pokery with the final result," he said.

"What this huge vote of confidence in Rouhani appears to show is a hunger by the Iranian people to break away from the arid and self-defeating approach of the past and for more constructive relations with the West."

He added: "On a personal level I found him warm and engaging. He is a strong Iranian patriot and he was tough but fair to deal with and always on top of his brief."

Speaking to the Observer, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Rouhani's deputy on Iran's national security council from 1997 to 2005, and a spokesman for Iran's nuclear negotiating team, said the results showed Iranians are desperate for "change".

"The public support of Mr Rafsanjani and Mr Khatami and withdrawal of Mohammad-Reza Aref from the race had a major role in Rouhani's win," he said. Khatami and Rafsanjani played a significant role in Rouhani's victory by holding off declarations of support and persuading Aref to drop out to avoid a split vote.

"Hardliners remain in control of key aspects of Iran's political system, but centrists and reformists have proven that even when the cards are stacked against them they can still prevail due to their support among the population," Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council said.

The turnout for Friday's vote was so high that polling stations stayed open for five hours longer than planned.

Speaking after casting his vote in Tehran, Khamenei had urged for a mass turnout to rebut suggestions by American officials that the election enjoyed little legitimacy.

"I recently heard that someone at the US National Security Council said 'We do not accept this election in Iran'," he said. "We don't give a damn."

Among those voting was Ebrahim Yazdi, secretary-general of the Freedom Movement of Iran, a banned group that is critical of the system.

"Today's election is about choosing between bad and worse," he told the semi-official Mehr news agency. "Voting is a national duty and a right given to you by God."

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"Recalibration of Knowledge" – Jan 14, 2012 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Channelling, God-Creator, Benevolent Design, New Energy, Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Reincarnation, Gaia, Old Energies (Africa, Terrorists, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela ... ), Weather, Rejuvenation, Akash, Nicolas Tesla / Einstein, Cold Fusion, Magnetics, Lemuria, Atomic Structure (Electrons, Particles, Polarity, Self Balancing, Magnetism), Entanglement, "Life is necessary for a Universe to exist and not the other way around", DNA, Humans (Baby getting ready, First Breath, Stem Cells, Embryonic Stem Cells, Rejuvenation), Global Unity, ... etc.) - (Text Version)  

“…  I want you to watch some countries. I don't have a clock [this statement is Kryon telling us that there is no time frame on his side of the veil, only potentials]. I'll just tell you, it's imminent [in Spirit's timing, this could mean as soon as a decade]. I want you to watch some countries carefully for changes. You're going to be seeing changes that are obvious, and some that are not obvious [covert or assumptive]. But the obvious ones you will see sooner than not - Cuba, Korea [North], Iran, of course, and Venezuela. I want you to watch what happens when they start to realize that they don't have any more allies on Earth! Even their brothers who used to support them in their hatred of some are saying, "Well, perhaps not anymore. It doesn't seem to be supporting us anymore. "Watch the synchronicities that are occurring. The leaders who have either died or are going to in the next year or so will take with them the old ways. Watch what happens to those who take their place, and remember these meetings where I described these potentials to you. …”

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A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

“….. Here is the prediction: China will turn North Korea loose soon. The alliance will dissolve, or become stale. There will be political upheaval in China. Not a coup and not a revolution. Within the inner circles of that which you call Chinese politics, there will be a re-evaluation of goals and monetary policy. Eventually, you will see a break with North Korea, allowing still another dictator to fall and unification to occur with the south. 

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